Mayor signs anti-cyber bullying law

RANDELL EVANS
editorial@queenscourier.com
Mayor Michael Bloomberg authorized a bill on June 9 for the safety of students terrorized by cyber bullying. The bill was written by Councilmembers Mark Weprin and Larry Fidler.
“Too many children and teens have suffered for no good reason,” said Weprin. “If we want our children to grow up in a nurturing and compassionate society, there is absolutely no place for cyber-bullying.”
The bill would require schools to have some sort of anti-bullying program. The bill also comes with civil penalties, such as suspension from school or complete removal from the school environment.
Weprin was first informed about cyber-bullying due to a call from Rachel Mayo, a resident of Little Neck. She contacted the councilmember last year while attending Townsend Harris High School because she was doing an in-depth study of cyber-bullying among local high school students. Weprin persisted on the subject because he was impressed with Rachel’s seriousness and the conclusions in her report.
In her findings, Mayo defines cyber-bullying as the use of information and communication technologies such as emails, cell phones, text messages, instant messaging, and defamatory personal web sites to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behavior by an individual or group.
Mayo has also been a victim of this form of bullying from the very young age of 10 years old. She indicates in her article that she would receive instant messages stating, “You’re ugly. Why do you even bother coming to school? Nobody likes you. You have no friends.”
“I wanted to do something for people I feel passionate about,” said Mayo.